Mexican Los Angeles Archive is a comprehensive digital collection documenting the Mexican-American experience in Los Angeles County from 1771 to the present day.
This archive is dedicated to my father and to the young Mexican-American children in Los Angeles who, like me, were never handed a full picture of themselves. My father came to L.A. chasing the dream we all recognize, and when he died, the clearest doorway to my Mexican-ness went with him. Later, spiraling through the Internet Archive, I began finding community-made manuals and curricula from the ’80s and ’90s meant for Mexican-American kids. I had never seen those in middle or high school. It made me wonder why nothing like that exists now, and what it would look like to translate that care into a digital, searchable, map-based form—so I started building it myself.
What you’re seeing here is an early map—a first pass at gathering the sites, stories, and traces of Mexican and Chicanx life in L.A., the parts that get built, erased, and fought for. It will grow as I learn more. If you know of places, people, or histories that should live here too, please tell me at miaarambula321@gmail.com.
Research Methodology
This archive combines historical records, oral histories, maps, and multimedia materials to create an interconnected narrative of Mexican Los Angeles. Materials are sourced from libraries, archives, community organizations, and personal collections.
Credits
Research & Curation: Mia Arambula (independent research)
Special Credits: My sister, friends, and family for their support and encouragement
Contact
For questions, contributions, or permissions, please contact the research team through the university archives.
Research by Mia Arambula • Los Angeles, California • 2025